 Tennessee
Information
Capital
City: Nashville
Economy: Manufacturing, agriculture,
tourism, mining, energy, timber and entertainment
Population: 5,689,285
Time Zone: 5-6 hours behind Greenwich
Mean Time (-5 and -6 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed From
the first Sunday in April until the last Sunday in October
Tennessee's Flag:
The three stars on the flag represent the three different
land forms in Tennessee. Mountains in the east, highlands in the
middle and lowlands in the west. On the flag these regions are bound
together in an unbroken circle. The field is crimson with a blue
background for the stars. The final blue strip relieves the sameness
of the crimson field and prevents the flag from showing too much
crimson when it is limp.
History
of Tennessee:
First visited by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1540,
the Tennessee area would later be claimed by both France and England
as a result of the 1670s and 1680s explorations of Jacques Marquette
and Louis Joliet, sieur de la Salle, and the Englishmen James Needham
and Gabriel Arthur. Great Britain obtained the region following
the French and Indian Wars in 1763. It was rapidly occupied by settlers
moving in from Virginia and the Carolinas. During 1784–87,
the settlers formed the “state” of Franklin, which was
disbanded when the region was allowed to send representatives to
the North Carolina legislature. In 1790 Congress organized the territory
south of the Ohio River, and Tennessee joined the Union in 1796.
Although Tennessee joined the Confederacy during the Civil War,
there was much pro-Union sentiment in the state, which was the scene
of extensive military action. The state is now predominantly industrial;
the majority of its population lives in urban areas. Among the most
important products are chemicals, textiles, apparel, electrical
machinery, furniture, and leather goods. Other lines include food
processing, lumber, primary metals, and metal products. The state
is known as the U.S. hardwood-flooring center and ranks first in
the production of marble, zinc, pyrite, and ball clay. Tennessee
is one of the leading tobacco-producing states in the nation. Its
farming income is derived from livestock and dairy products, as
well as corn, cotton, and soybeans. With six other states, Tennessee
shares the extensive federal reservoir developments on the Tennessee
and Cumberland River systems. The Tennessee Valley Authority operates
a number of dams and reservoirs in the state. Among the major points
of interest are the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site at Greenville,
the American Museum of Atomic Energy at Oak Ridge, Great Smoky Mountains
National Park, the Hermitage (home of Andrew Jackson near Nashville),
Rock City Gardens near Chattanooga, and three National Military
Parks. Copyright © Information Please, a Division of Family
Education Company. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Other Tennessee Links:
Tennessee Department
of Education
Tennessee Department of
Tourist Development
Tennessee Association of Business
Tennessee
State Library and Archives
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